The present invention relates to a fastener, and in particular to a retention clip for securing an interior trim piece to a vehicle.
Interior trim pieces are usually affixed to the vehicle by a snap-type clip design. The snap-type clip design is usually a threaded fastener in the dashboard area that has a visibly exposed sharp edge directly facing the front seat vehicle occupants. Unfortunately, the visibly exposed sharp edge portion of the fastener does not meet strength and safety testing standards, for example, the direct head impact testing standard.
As a result of the fallbacks associated with snap-type clip designs, a retention clip design has been used in favor of the snap-type clip design to affix an interior trim piece to the vehicle. For example, as shown in FIG. 2a, prior retention clip designs have employed a mirror symmetric configuration (about a central vertical axis, V) with leg portions each extending from a knee portion and having a length, L, and an angle, xcex8, with respect to the vertical axis, V. Although adequate for most applications, this conventional design may not prevent the detachment of the trim piece from the vehicle during certain accident situations. Because the trim piece can become forcibly detached from the vehicle during certain accident situations, such as direct head impact testing, this design can be prone to fail current safety test standards, such as the direct head impact testing standard.
The inventors of the present invention have recognized these and other problems associated with conventional snap-type clip and retention clip designs and have developed a retention clip that can positively secure and lock a trim piece, such as an air deflector housing unit, to the dashboard area of a vehicle. The retention clip also is generally free of any sharp edges that may cause injury to the passenger.
The retention clip of the invention comprises a trim piece affixing portion, a first leg member, and a second leg member that extends from a head portion. The trim piece affixing portion is defined by at least one pair of grips that includes a plurality of retention barbs. Each first and second leg member is defined by a first leg portion, an intermediate knee portion, and a second leg portion. Each second leg portion is defined by a first and second length and a first and second deployment angle respectively, wherein the first length is greater than the second length.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a generally U-shaped retention clip fastener that comprises a head portion, a trim piece affixing portion, a first leg member, and a second leg member. The trim piece affixing portion extends from the head portion and is defined by at least one pair of grips including a plurality of retention barbs that frictionally engages the trim piece extension member. The first and second leg members, which extend from the head portion, are defined by a first leg portion, an intermediate knee portion, and a second leg portion. The first leg member provides a lateral, outboard biasing force on a receiving wall surface of a dashboard. The second leg member, which is positioned on the outboard side of the trim piece, provides a perpendicular biasing force on the inner contacting surface of the dashboard. The first leg portion of the first and second leg members are symmetrically positioned about a vertical axis located centrally across the head portion. The second leg portion of the first and second leg members are defined by a first and second length respectively and a first and second deployment angle respectively. The first length is greater than the second length and the first deployment angle is greater than the second deployment angle.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a retention clip for securing a trim piece to a dashboard area of a vehicle. The retention clip comprises means for affixing the retention clip to the trim piece and means for engaging the dashboard area with the retention clip.